Smart Homes Curb Energy Use

September 9, 2016 - 3 minutes read

In the era of the Internet of Things (IoT), the demand for a connected home for connected things is growing at a rapid clip.

As smart things demand seamless integration across multiple channels, homes must also become smarter. The smart home ecosystem is set to grow from $3 billion to $18 billion annually over the next decade. This growth comes in part because smart homes are no longer the exclusive purview of luxury homes. Rather, smart products and integrations are becoming more affordable than ever. Now, anyone can have an automated home. And before long, it will be abnormal not to live in a smart home.

The latest features of leading energy-monitoring devices aim at bridging these gaps, including user interfaces designed to provide customers with more convenience and user-friendliness, enabling easier access to otherwise invisible energy data.

According to Forrester Research, homeowners are more interested in monitoring home energy use than even home security. The market is primed for smart home integration. People yearn for control, interconnectedness, access to multiple features at their fingertips, and having everything on the go. It’s only a matter of time before these desires will be fulfilled in relation to our homes.

As major players enter the smart home game — Amazon has Echo, Google has Nest, and Samsung has SmartThings —the software for IoT is also becoming more user-friendly. A few recent examples include: lighting control, surveillance and remote locking, smart thermostats, and connected pet products (like dog doors that only open when the integrated collar is nearby). But there should be a way to monitor and manage all these products at once, because an ignorant life is not a smart life.

First Analysis said the most successful home automation devices in the years to come will act as the central hub of the home, which is where a curb comes in. An intelligent curb, like CURB, would take it a step further, working across multi-channels to monitor the individual consumption of each appliance or room. Even, say, controlling SmartThings from the same app that reveals each appliances energy footprint in real-time.

CURB-like devices offer customers peace of mind, convenience, and safety with their energy use. These variables are intangible, yet invaluable. Competing data scientists and product engineering teams are working on next generation technology to incorporate richer and richer energy data with the needs of smart homes. This puts energy literate homeowners in a unique position to make smart choices for their lives. CURB leads the movement beyond smart home integrations centered around data monitoring and into the world of predictive actionable analytics.

Curb is the first whole home energy intelligence system. Through sensors that connect directly to your breaker box, Curb monitors everything in your house that uses electricity. Curb knows which things are turned on, how much power they’re using, and what that will cost. Curb processes your electrical usage data and shares insights to help you make your home smarter, more energy efficient, and safer. The Curb mobile app and web interface show you what’s driving the cost of your electricity bill, share energy saving tips, and send electricity safety alerts. With Curb, you can power your life smarter.